Weird Science, Saturday December 5, The Black Box, Belfast, 8pm
WEIRD Science is not the best film by late great director John Hughes – that's surely a toss-up between Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Uncle Buck – but its 'Risky Business meets Bride of Frankenstein' sex comedy/sci-fi hybrid is definitely his most distinctly '1980s' work.
When high school losers Gary (Hughes favourite Anthony Michael Hall) and Wyatt (the never seen again Illan Mitchell-Smith) decide to create their ideal woman by feeding their home computer centrefolds and hooking it up to a Barbie doll, a freak lightning strike results in 1980s sex bomb Kelly LeBrock literally exploding into Wyatt's bedroom.
"So, what would you little maniacs like to do first?" she enquires. As Weird Science is a 15 certificate, the answer is "Not what you'd immediately suspect".
Instead, the highly intelligent Lisa (LeBrock) becomes a maverick Mary Poppins figure, conjuring up 'cool dude' make-overs and high performance sports cars for her teen masters before helping them to realise that being themselves is more important than impressing their peers (including a young Robert Downey Jr) – although being able to throw an awesome party when your parents are away doesn't hurt either.
Featuring a stellar supporting turn by Bill Paxton as Wyatt's sadistic big brother, Chet, and superbly surreal cameos by Vernon 'Mad Max 2 / Commando' Wells and Michael 'The Hills Have Eyes' Berryman, Weird Science remains a reliably amusing if somewhat uneven time capsule.
Remind yourself tomorrow night at this special BFI Love Season screening, to be prefaced by "a short lecture on the science of kissing and love potion cocktails" courtesy of the mysterious Dr Love.
:: Tickets £6 via Blackboxbelfast.com.
